Device eor charging retorts



' F. M. E. BLAss.

DEVICE FORCHARGING RETORTS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV24| I9I5.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

WITNESS.' M4 f Bv www ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT FFCEJ FERDINAND MAXEUGEN BLASS, 01E' MLHEIM-ON-TI-IE-RHINE, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR, BY lllIESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO THE CHEMCAL FUNDTLON, ING., A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE.

Application lefl November 24, 1915.

To all fic/iam t may concern Be it known that I, FERDINAND MAX EUGENlflLAss, a citizen ot the German Empire, and a resident of Mlheim-onthe-Rhine, i ermany, have invented certain new and useful improvements inDevices for Charging Fetorts and the like, oi which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to devices for charging retorts and the like, asfor instance the chambers of coke-ovens, coalite ovens, chemicalretorts, lithopone ovens,ovens tor roasting pyrites, ovens for oxidizingbarium oxide, etc. rlhe object of my present inven-V tion is to avoidcertain diiiiculties and defects generally occurring with constructionsof this kind used hitherto, and particularly Y the sticking of thecharge to the walls of the retort, the obstruction of the gas passages,the decomposition oi the gas produced, with a resulting loss vin heatingor illuminating power, etc. The improved charging devicedesigned by memakes it possible to operate coke-ovens and the like continuously in amanner satisfying practical requirements. These results are obtained bya novel construction more fully set forth hereinafter and speciicallypointed out in the claims, a salient-feature of this construction beingan arrangement according to which the gases leaving the retort or thelike surround entirely a passage or chute through which the fresh fuelis supplied, with a beneficial effect both on the gases and on the fuel,as fully explained below.

Two typicalexamples oit a retort provided with my improvements areillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is avertical section through a portion ot an upright-retort oven to which myimproved charging device is applied; Fig. 2 is a detail view of theupper portion oi Fig. 1, shown upon an enlarged scale, the plane of thesection being indicated by theline 2--2 oiI Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a verticalsection on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a hori- Zontal section online 4-4 of Figs. 2 and 3; and Fig. 5 is a vertical section, similar toFig. 3, through a slightly different form of my invention.

ln the accompanying drawings, my improved charging arrangement is shownapplied to a coke-oven having upright cham- Speciication of LettersPatent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

Serial No. 63,231.

bers, such as 10, haring :from top to bottom, this being a well-knowntype of coke-oven. l desire it to be understood, however, that myinvention is applicable to ovens and retorts or" other types as well. Inthe side walls of the chambers 10 are provided the heating lues 11 ofany well-known or approved construction and arrangement. On top of thechamber 10 is secured a casing 12 the interior of which communicateswith the said chamber, and at a suitable point of its outer portion,said casing in provided with an outlet through which the gases producedby the distillation of the fuel in the chamber 10, may pass to a pipefor conveying them to the usual apparatus where they are treatedfurther. ln the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the pipe 13 leadsfrom the outer portion of the casing 12 at the top, while in Fig. 5 theoutlet pipe 13 is connected with the outer portion of the casing at theside. yTo the top plate 12 of the casing 12 is secured a funnel'or charging chute 14, the lower end of which eX- tends into the upper portion ofthe chamber 10. This lower or discharge portion of the chute ispreferably of a cross section similar to that oi the chamber 10; thus,Fig. 4 shows that both the chamber 10 and thelower or discharge portionof the chute 14 are oblong in cross section. The upper end ot the chuteis adapted to register with any suitable charging hopper or the like, asindicated at 15 in Fig. 1. At the upper end oli the chute I arrange asuitable valve or damper (not shown) adapted to be operated by a handle14, and normally closed to prevent the escape of gas therethrough; thehopper' 15 is provided at its lower portion with a valve or damperoperated by a suit* able handle 15 and normally closed, to be openedonly when fuel is to be transferred from the hopper to one of the chutes14. rFhe gas-discharge pipes 13, 13 may be connected with a gas main 16.In Figs. 1 to 4, the chute 14 is slightly inclined, and placed to oneside within the casing 12; in Fig. 5, the chute 14 is located exactly atthe center of the casing 12 and chamber 10. The chute 14 is secured inany suitable manner to the casing 12 or its top plate 12, but, exceptwhere it passes through said top plate, the chute 14 is spaced from thewall of the casing so that the gases evolved from the fuel in thechamber 10 will flow upwardly along the chute 14 on every side thereof,that is to say, the lower portion of the chute is surrounded entirely bythe gases traveling to the outlet 1S or 13. At the upper portion of thechamber 10, that is to say, the portion containing the lower end of thechute 14, and at the same level, substantially, as said lower chute end,the walls of said chamber may be made with channels or lues 17 throughwhich a cooling fluid, such as air, may be circulated; for instance, infurnaces employing preheated air to support combustion, the air to bepreheated may be conducted through the channels or flues 17. It willalso be observed that the lower end of the fuel chute 14 is at a leveldistinctly above the level of the uppermost heating flues 11, and, sincesaid lower end of the chute practically determines the level of theupper surface of the fuel charge in the chamber 10, it follows that thetemperature is relatively moderate at the surface level of the fuelcharge in said chamber, thus avoiding the danger of decomposition of thegas which leaves the charge at said level. The temperature is thus keptmoderate at this point by two factors, viz.: the arrangement of thelower end of the chute 14 above the level of the uppermost heatingchannels 11, and, second, the arrangement of said lower chute end at thesame level with the cooling channels 17 At suitable points, I mayprovide openings (normally closed by covers 1S) for inspecting orcleaning the interior of the apparatus, or for pushing the fuel downwhen required.

The fuel charged into the hopper 15 and transferred to the chute 14 inany usual or approved manner, slides down into the chamber 10, which isthe working chamber of the oven or retort. The fuel level in the chamber10 will remain constant and substantially even with thc lower end of thechute 14, as long as there is any fuel left in said chute, it boingunderstood that at the beginning the chute 14 is filled to the top, andthat it is refilled before all the contents of the chute have beendischarged into the working chamber 10. A continuous operation is thusobtained, with a constant fuel level and uniform conditions for theproduction of gas. The fuel in the chute forms a seal, and asdistillation progresses, the gases evolved in the portion of the chamberbelow the chute 14 will rise around the chute in the upper part of thechamber and in the casing 12. These gases will be kept relatively cool,since the outer wall of the casing 12 is exposed to the surrounding air,even if no cooling medium is circulated through the channels 17. Ofcourse, the action is more efficient when the cooling channels 17 areemployed. The gases, when they are kept comparatively cool, asdescribed, will not be liable to decomposition within the upper part ofthe working chamber 1() and on their way to the outlet 13 or 13. Anotheradvantage is that the gases can rise uniformly from the mass und-ergoingdistillation, along the entire contour of the chamber 10, since thechute 14 does not reach close enough to the walls of said chamber toobstruct the upward passage of the gases at any point of said walls. Thecooling effect secured by exposing the outer surface of the casing tothe surrounding air, may be increased further by expedients such asproviding external ribs to enlarge the surface of the casing thusexposed, or causing water to flow over said outer surface. A furtheradvantage resulting from my improved construction is that the hopper 15and the chute 14 are kept comparatively cool, so that the fuel containedin said supply members will not undergo distillation until it issuesfrom the lower end of said chute. Sticking of the charge in the chute isthus avoided, and a continuous operation may be conducted withoutdifficulty, if desired, in which case the fuel is supplied continuouslythrough the hopper 15 or its equivalent, and removed continuously at thebottom of the working chamber 10, by means of any usual or approveddischarge device such as spiked rotary rollers 19. The gas evolved inthe retort is of good heating or lighting capacity, which is due chieflyto the fact that it can rise freely at all points of the periphery orcontour of the mass undergoing distillation, and to the fact that undueheating, and resulting decomposition of the gases produced, are avoidedin the manner set forth above. There will be no precipitation of heavytar or pitch such as might obstruct the gas outlet. The recovery ofby-products such as tar and ammonia, is exceedingly high when myimproved construction is employed, since practically the entirety ofthese by-products leaves the apparatus with the gases, instead of beingdeposited in part on the walls of the channels through which the gasespass out. It will be noted particularly that the fresh fuel dischargedfrom the chute 14 is not brought in contact immediately with highlyheated surfaces, but the fresh fuel is discharged on the coolest portionof the mass in the working chamber, thus reventing, so far as possible,the undue heating of the material in the supply channels, and the escapeof distillation products through the column of fresh fuel in saidchannels.

As I have mentioned above, my invention is not limited in itsapplication to ovens having upright chambers, and while I prefer acontinuous operation, an intermittent one may be employed instead.

'Various modifications may be made with out departing from the nature ofmy invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. An oven or the like, provided with a working chamber, and withheating fiues in the walls of said chamber, a stationary casingextending upwardly from said chamber and communicating therewith, andexposed to the cooling influence of the surrounding atmosphere, and amaterial-chargn ing chute secured to and extending Within said casingand terminating within said chamber at a material distance below theupper end thereof, said chute being spaced from the walls of the chamberand of the casing on all sides so that the gases rising from thematerial will surround the said chute entirely, the casing beingprovided with a gas outlet at its outer portion.

2. In an oven or the like for the distillation of fuel, providedwith anupright working chamber and with heating channels in the walls of saidchamber, a fuel-charging chute having its upper portion exteriorly ofsaid chamber and its lower portion within said chamber and spaced fromthe Walls thereof, the lower end of said chute being at a levelsubstantially above that of the uppermost heating channel, whereby thetemperature will be kept relatively moderate at the upper surface of thefuel which sulstantially coincides with said lower chute en 3. An ovenor the like provided with a Working chamber, a stationary casingextending upwardly from the said chamber and communicating with theinterior thereof, the outer surface of said casing being exposed to thesurrounding air, while its inner surface is exposed to the gases risingfrom said chamber, and a stationary chute extending downwardly throughsaid casing and having its discharge end spaced from the wall of saidchamber on all sides, said casing being provided with a gas outletlocated externally of the chute.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aiixed my signature.

FERDINAND MAX EUGEN BLASS.

